Scott Murray's Blog, page 145

The Fiver | Well on the way to completing the first bar of a new P-ditty

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Big Sam has agreed to take charge of Everton, who should note that if you want the full Fiver treatment, featuring all our bangs and whistles, you need to get up early in the morning. Alan Pardew and West Brom got there first. In any case, there’s no point making a big deal over it, he’ll have resigned by Christmas if the last couple of years are anything to go by. “Sam Allardyce will be at Finch Farm this afternoon to finalise terms on becoming the new manager of Everton,” blathered a club suit.

Related: Alan Pardew appointed as West Bromwich Albion manager until 2020

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Watford 2-4 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened

United hit four yet again, their attacking verve too much for a lively Watford side.

11.32pm GMT

Related: Ashley Young’s double has Manchester United buzzing and Watford befuddled

9.51pm GMT

And some people will tell you that Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United are dull to watch. They hit four goals for the eighth time this season, all of them superb, the pièce de résistance an 80-yard Bestian burst by Jesse Lingard. They could have come a cropper when threatened by a late Watford revival, but stood firm where others have crumbled, and move to within five points of leaders Manchester City, for 24 hours at least. Watford remain in eighth, having played better than the scoreline suggests, contributing to an excellent evening’s entertainment. Nighty night, everyone!

9.51pm GMT

90 min +2: Carrillo burns down the right and stands one up in the mixer. Lindelof is forced to head out for a corner, under intense pressure from Deeney. The set piece leads to nothing. On the touchline, Mourinho races from the dugout to give Rashford a bollocking for some unknown reason. You’ve got to hand it to him: a relentless pursuit of perfection.

9.47pm GMT

90 min: There will be four added minutes. Time for a couple more, the way these teams have been carrying on.

9.47pm GMT

89 min: Watford, to their immense credit, refuse to give up. Richarlison breaks down the left and dribbles along the byline, firing with purpose into the six-yard box. De Gea turns the ball around the post with a strong wrist. The corner comes to nothing.

9.45pm GMT

88 min: Lingard ambles off the pitch with a wide smile, his work here done. He’s replaced by Ibrahimovic.

9.45pm GMT

How about this for a reply?! Doucoure races down the left. His low cross is hacked clear by Herrera. Lingard picks up the loose ball, 20 yards inside his own half. He bursts down the middle, drifts to the left, then to the right, beating a gaggle of defenders, before firing low into the bottom corner from the edge of the D! That’s a stunning solo goal! George Best would have been proud.

9.42pm GMT

Carrillo dribbles down the right and reaches the edge of the box. He fires low into the area. Doucoure hits a first-time prod towards the bottom left. It’s accurate and with pace ... and in! Vicarage Road erupts. It couldn’t be on, could it? Richarlison’s near miss just before the half-time whistle suddenly becomes a thing.

9.41pm GMT

82 min: Mariappa hooks one into the mixer from the left. Young chests it down and aims a blooter upfield, only to watch in horror as the ball rebounds off Deeney and towards goal. Fortunately for United, it eventually loops well wide right of the target. But for a split second, United hearts were in mouths.

9.39pm GMT

81 min: Watford are enjoying plenty of the ball as United sit back, concentrating on their defensive shape. Richarlison makes off down the left, and looks for Deeney in the box. But his cross is hysterical and flies wildly into the stand behind the goal.

9.37pm GMT

80 min: United are sitting back, taking no chances. Six men across the front of the area. Femenia curls a cross in from the right. Deeney rises and wins the header, but he’s under pressure and pushed back to the edge of the box. He looks for the top right but that’s an easy claim for de Gea.

9.36pm GMT

Deeney sends de Gea the wrong way, slotting the penalty calmly into the bottom left. Game on? Well, against a Mourinho side, probably not. But it’s got the crowd going!

9.34pm GMT

77 min: Pereyra dances into the United box from the right. His jinking feet confuse Rojo, who clips him over, a lunge from behind. A no-brainer for the referee.

9.34pm GMT

76 min: And now Lukaku bursts down the left, only to drag a shot across goal and out on the right.

9.33pm GMT

75 min: Lukaku should make it four for United. He’s got the ball at his feet, alone on the penalty spot, the result of Rashford stripping Mariappa down the left and teeing it up. But he hesitates. Gomes comes out to close him down. Doucoure snaps at his ankles. Mariappa eventually blocks. What a chance spurned! That’s a hell of a miss. Funny thing, confidence.

9.31pm GMT

74 min: A free kick for United out on the right. It’s sent onto the head of Pogba, who rises above Doucoure and should score from close range. But he sends a weak effort sailing harmlessly over the bar.

9.30pm GMT

72 min: Deeney comes on for a fading Gray. Doucoure bursts down the inside-left channel. United, rather uncharacteristically, open up. Doucoure zips through the gap and into the box, but then scuffs his shooting opportunity. The ball nearly breaks to Deeney on the penalty spot. No. That would have been some introduction.

9.29pm GMT

70 min: Mariappa strips the ball from Lukaku 30 yards from goal, takes a stride, and lashes a wild shot wide right of the goal. A sign of understandable frustration. Thing is, Watford haven’t played that badly tonight. They’ve just been steamrollered by United in one of their super-efficient moods.

9.27pm GMT

68 min: Carrillo suddenly finds himself in a lot of space to the left of the United area, reward for a smart on-a-sixpence turn. He reaches the byline and fires into the six-yard box, which contains three yellow-shirted pals. There’s some pinball. But the ball doesn’t break to a Watford player, and Rojo is able to slam clear. On another day, etc.

9.24pm GMT

66 min: Zeegelaar clatters into Lingard, who was in the process of executing a cheeky nutmeg. A free kick instead. It’s taken quickly by Pogba, and Lingard is found in space to the right of goal. His low shot is deflected out for a corner. Pogba tries to get a header on target from the set piece, but can’t manage it.

9.22pm GMT

65 min: Rashford comes on to replace Martial.

9.22pm GMT

64 min: Femenia has been bright for Watford, too. He skates down the right and whips deep for Richarlison, who rises and heads over from close range at the far post.

9.21pm GMT

63 min: A deft Pogba flick sends Lingard scampering down the right. Lingard very nearly finds Lukaku on the penalty spot, but Mariappa is on hand to sweep up.

9.20pm GMT

61 min: Carrillo looks to curl one into the top right from 25 yards. It doesn’t bother de Gea in the slightest, the United goalkeeper opting not to move, other than to roll his eyes as the ball sails over the bar. Ambitious. But then Watford need something special if they’re going to complete their seemingly impossible task.

9.18pm GMT

60 min: Not much going on right now, the play having been broken up by all those changes.

9.17pm GMT

58 min: Hughes is replaced by Pereyra, and it’s a double change, Carrillo coming on for Prodl.

9.15pm GMT

57 min: Hughes goes scampering off down the right, in the hope of keeping a long ball in play. Then he pulls up, clutching the back of his leg. Oh dear. He trudges off, swearing under his breath. A shame, he’s been magnificent of late, and indeed tonight, despite the scoreline.

9.13pm GMT

55 min: Matic, limping lightly and grimacing slightly, is replaced by the more sprightly Ander Herrera. Nobody in United garb looks particularly energised to welcome Matic to the bench, which suggests there’s no great panic about his condition, and no need for immediate medical attention. A precautionary measure, on the face of it.

9.11pm GMT

53 min: And United move upfield at speed again. They’ve been devastating on the break tonight. Martial zooms towards the Watford box and slips the ball to Lukaku, just inside the area on his right. Lukaku is offside, and drags a lame shot across the face of goal anyway. His lack of confidence betrays him.

9.10pm GMT

52 min: Hughes has been Watford’s one ray of light tonight. He really does look the part. He starts a Watford attack which ends with Richarlison having a dig from just inside the area. The ball clips off Smalling’s elbow. Watford want a penalty, but they’re not getting it. A corner instead. The ball’s hoicked into the mixer. Smalling clanks into Prodl, and there’s another shout for a spot kick. Neither claim was particularly convincing. We move on.

9.07pm GMT

50 min: A free kick for Watford out on the left. They load the box. Cleverley floats it in. Smalling clears with ease. United break upfield, Lingard tearing down the right. Mariappa does very well to keep up with the speedy forward and slide the ball out for a corner. Nothing much comes from the set piece.

9.06pm GMT

48 min: Romelu Lukaku could do with a goal: just one in his last 11 matches. He has a look from a position to the right of the Watford D. It’s easily blocked. That early-season form continues to elude him. But this is the sort of evening during which his luck could turn.

9.04pm GMT

47 min: Richarlison finds Cleverley down the left wing. The midfielder crosses low and hard, but it’s easily claimed by an otherwise bored David de Gea. There were no yellow shirts in there to put pressure on the United keeper.

9.02pm GMT

And we’re off again! That was a wonderful first 45 from Manchester United, who soaked up a little early Watford pressure with ease, then burst into life in devastating fashion. The stunned hosts get the ball rolling for the second 45, and will be desperate to avoid the six-goal shellacking handed out by Manchester City; you can bet United fancy their chances of repeating the punishment and sending a message across town. “Do you think Mourinho might have been listening to the interviews that Cantona has been giving over the past few days about his preference for Guardiola’s style of play?” wonders David Wall.

8.54pm GMT

Half-time advertisement: Just in case you’ve yet to start your Christmas shopping and are at a loss regarding stocking fillers.

Related: How Manchester City were dogged by the new neighbours

8.50pm GMT

A late chance for Watford to claw their way back into the game there. But otherwise they’ve been outclassed by a relentless United, who have looked sharp, dangerous and, yes, entertaining in so many of their attacks. Old bus-parking Jose Mourinho, huh.

8.49pm GMT

45 min +2: Femenia makes like George Best, dribbling at pace from a deep position on the right, across the park to the left-hand side of the United area. He scoops a cross into the middle. Richarlison, six yards out, loops a header over a flailing de Gea, but onto the top of the bar and out of play. So unlucky!

8.45pm GMT

45 min: It should be four. Lukaku powers down the middle and fires low and hard towards the goal. Gomes can only parry, the ball breaking to the left. Lingard is first onto the loose ball, and must score, but he hammers the shot straight at Gomes, who tips over spectacularly. That’s a fine save, though Gomes should never have had a chance. The resulting corner comes to nothing.

8.44pm GMT

43 min: Lindelof manages to concede a free kick for hand ball while chesting down a simple short throw-in. The free kick comes to nothing, but that was careless and a wee bit strange.

8.42pm GMT

42 min: ... he blooters the ball straight into the wall. No good. No hat-trick. Ah well. To be fair, he’s earned the right. He’s been superb.

8.41pm GMT

41 min: Martial glides down the centre of the park. He’s unceremoniously scythed down by a panicking Mariappa. No complaints. Another free kick in a dangerous position, just outside the box in the middle. Young snatches the ball. Mine. It’s his. He shapes, he shoots ...

8.40pm GMT

40 min: Richarlison slides the ball down the left for Zeegelaar on the overlap. The masked Zeegelaar - thanks to Andy Carroll for that one - slams a low, hard cross into the box. It’s hoicked clear by Smalling. Then another phase, as Doucoure tries to fashion space to shoot from 25 yards. He doesn’t carve anything out.

8.38pm GMT

38 min: Gray tries to break down the right wing, and is cynically grabbed by Rojo. That’s a fairly obvious booking.

8.37pm GMT

36 min: Watford are finding it very difficult to dispossess Pogba in the midfield. The United midfielder is strutting around in the commanding style. Cleverley is reduced to a cynical tug. The resulting free kick, near the centre circle, comes to nothing, but the incident further illustrates United’s utter dominance right now.

8.35pm GMT

35 min: Martial and Lingard ping the ball off each other on the edge of the Watford D. For a second it looks as though Martial will work space to shoot, but it doesn’t quite come off for United. Prodl hacks clear.

8.34pm GMT

34 min: Watford will be thinking dark thoughts at the moment, as memories of Manchester City’s visit come flooding back. City scored six times back in September. The way this game is going, their neighbours are currently well on track to do the same.

8.33pm GMT

Watford are falling to bits. Lingard nicks the ball in the midfield and nearly sets an attack going down the inside left with a high flick. Kabasele heads the ball back out, weakly. Lingard meets the dropping ball and cushions it inside for Martial, who takes a touch towards the box and slams the ball into the bottom right. Brilliant opportunism from Lingard to carve a chance out of not very much, but the Watford back line were all over the place there. And this game is already over!

8.29pm GMT

29 min: Suddenly Watford’s passes aren’t sticking as they once were. Prodl channels his inner Beckenbauer and strides down the middle, but his ball down the wing for Richarlison is easily snaffled by Smalling.

8.28pm GMT

27 min: Vicarage Road has fallen pretty quiet, the vocal stylings of the United travelling support apart. And no wonder: Watford have played reasonably well so far, yet they’re suddenly a couple of goals adrift, thanks to those superb strikes by their one-time hero Ashley Young.

8.26pm GMT

Ashley Young is in form all right! He gets first dibs on the free kick, as reward for his earlier goal. He takes a step and whips a gorgeous curler up and over the wall, and back down, into the top left. Gomes took a step towards it, then stopped, knowing full well there was no chance of getting to a perfect free kick!

8.24pm GMT

24 min: Pogba embarks on a determined, long-legged strut down the middle. He eats up yards and yards. Eventually Doucoure takes a handful of his shirt and drags him to the ground. A free kick, 25 yards out in a very dangerous position, and a deserved booking for the Watford man.

8.22pm GMT

22 min: Young takes the corner. The ball flies over the Watford area and out for a goal kick on the right. Lukaku and Smalling were lurking at the far post, but the ball didn’t drop for them. For a split second, as the ball arced through the air, a quickfire second looked on the cards.

8.21pm GMT

21 min: United have their tails up now. Young floats a ball down the left for Martial, who twists, turns and nearly breaks clear into the box. He settles for a corner, as the ball pings off Prodl.

8.20pm GMT

So having said that, United take the lead with a peach of a shot from former Watford star Ashley Young! Lingard wriggles away in a central position, 20 yards from goal. He’s closed down, so fires a pass to his left for Young, who meets the ball first time and lashes a shot through the eye of a needle and into the bottom-left corner! What an effort, out of pretty much nothing!

8.19pm GMT

18 min: Kabasele tries to free the relentless Hughes down the left, but with United slightly light at the back, the pass trundles out of play for a throw. Nothing quite coming off yet for either team.

8.17pm GMT

16 min: Martial makes off down the inside-left channel. He has a dig from the edge of the box, but the effort is blocked at source by Femenia. Martial picks up the rebound and tries to dribble his way through, but the ball breaks to Gomes, who gathers. This game is open, with both teams going for it ... but it’s yet to tip over into genuine excitement. Plenty of time.

8.15pm GMT

15 min: Lingard sashays down the right and earns a corner off Prodl. The Watford defender clears the set piece. Pogba takes a throw-in out on the right, in the hope of keeping the pressure on. He flings it straight out of play for a goal kick, much to the home support’s collective amusement.

8.13pm GMT

13 min: Hughes looks the real deal. Quarterbacking in the centre circle, he sprays a pass down the left channel for Richarlison, who then tries to tee up the rampaging Doucoure with a cushioned pass inside. Doucoure is desperate to shoot, but the ball doesn’t sit up for him, and the chance is gone.

8.12pm GMT

11 min: Hughes feeds Femenia down the right, the full back threatening to tear free on the overlap. Rojo sticks to him. Femenia reaches the byline and, under pressure, hooks one across that a backtracking de Gea is forced to tip over the crossbar. From the corner, Richarlison has half a chance of planting a header goalwards but can only whack the ball straight at his own man Prodl.

8.09pm GMT

9 min: Watford have developed a taste for attack now. Some space for Richarlison down the left. He curls into the box, the ball dipping and dangerous. Gray tries to connect, eight yards out, but Rojo does enough to put him off. The ball sails through the area harmlessly.

8.08pm GMT

7 min: Watford show in attack for the first time. First Kabasele pings Cleverley free down the left. The former United man crosses, but there’s nobody in yellow in the area. Then another phase down the right. Femenia floats a cross towards Richarlison, on the edge of the six-yard box in a central position. Richarlison shapes to head goalwards, but he’s legally eased off it by the wily Lindelof. There’s a half-arsed claim for a penalty, but nothing’s doing, and rightly so.

8.06pm GMT

5 min: Watford have yet to string more than a couple of passes together. United are enjoying the lion’s share of possession. Lingard becomes the third United man to zip down the left. He finds Martial in the area with a low ping. Martial can’t control, letting the ball clank off his shin when there was time to turn and face the goal. A little careless.

8.04pm GMT

3 min: But United launch another attack down the same flank, Martial swaying this way and that as he advances towards the box. Femenia stands his ground and the danger is repelled. A solid, if unspectacular, start by the visitors.

8.02pm GMT

2 min: The in-form Young makes good ground down the left, reaching the byline then cutting back and earning himself enough time to pick a pass. Shame, then, that his ball into the box is aimless, and easily cleared by Prodl.

8.01pm GMT

And we’re off! United get the ball rolling. The back three of Rojo, Lindelof and Smalling get an early touch. So does de Gea in goal. All very measured. No fast start. Plenty of time yet for thrills and spills.

7.58pm GMT

No pre-match soundbites from the managers. That’s ... refreshing. Do we miss them? Not really, no. And here come the teams! Watford in their first-choice yellow, Manchester United in their famous red. Hands are shaken ... then cupped and blown into. Anything to keep warm. It’s a cold, crisp, cold, clear, cold night in Hertfordshire. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.39pm GMT

Incidentally, there are three other Premier League fixtures tonight. Leicester City host Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion welcome Newcastle United to the Hawthorns, and Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace rekindle their strange and passionate rivalry. You can follow them all with super Tommy Lutz, your Clocko hero.

Related: Leicester v Spurs, Brighton v Crystal Palace and more: Premier League – live!

7.12pm GMT

Watford make one change to the starting XI sent out to defeat Newcastle at the weekend. Sebastian Prodl replaces Miguel Britos; it’s his first start since August.

Manchester United rejig the team that beat Brighton to the tune of two. Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford drop to the bench, making way for Marcus Rojo and Jesse Lingard. This is Rojo’s first appearance in the Premier League since April.

7.04pm GMT

Watford: Gomes, Mariappa, Kabasele, Prodl, Femenia, Doucoure, Cleverley, Zeegelaar, Hughes, Gray, Richarlison.
Subs: Janmaat, Deeney, Wague, Carrillo, Capoue, Karnezis, Pereyra.

Manchester United: de Gea, Lindelof, Smalling, Rojo, Valencia, Pogba, Matic, Young, Lingard, Martial, Lukaku.
Subs: Mata, Ibrahimovic, Rashford, Romero, Ander Herrera, Darmian, McTominay.

9.21am GMT

... where Watford look for the win that could bring them as high as sixth in the Premier League table. Second-placed Manchester United meanwhile hope to close the gap on rivals Manchester City to five points.

Watford will be confident, coming off comfortable victories against West Ham and Newcastle, games in which Will Hughes finally discovered his goalscoring mojo at the top level. Watford have already seen off Arsenal at home, and held Liverpool. Can they add the scalp of Manchester United to their belt? They took it last year, after all.

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The Fiver | A hot-faced manager in a comical coin-and-coffee maelstrom

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Today marks the 40th anniversary – give or take 11 months and 22 days – of the genesis of the great rivalry between Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. It seems to have really, er, crystallised at the end of an FA Cup marathon between the two clubs in December 1976, won by Palace in controversial circumstances at neutral Stamford Bridge. Brighton thought they’d equalised through a Brian Horton penalty, you see, only for the referee to order a retake for encroachment. You know how these things go, and of course the second attempt was missed. At the final whistle, their boss Alan Mullery attempted to engage the whistler in Socratic dialogue, and was showered with coffee by a nearby Palace fan for his trouble. To be fair, the stuff they used to serve up at Chelsea was rank, the nearest place to get a good cup in those days was just outside Paris. But still.

Related: Brighton and Crystal Palace get set for latest bout in the oddest of rivalries | Dominic Fifield

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Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

Willian rescued a deserved point for the champions at Anfield with a late looping shot ... or was it a cross? You decide!

7.21pm GMT

And that’s that. The draw is a fair result on the balance of play, though having shipped yet another late goal, Liverpool will feel it’s yet another win squandered. The frown creasing Jurgen Klopp’s face suggests exactly that. Chelsea look pretty happy with their point by contrast, Antonio Conte giving the away fans a few passionate “come on”s. The draw keeps Chelsea in third, while Liverpool remain stuck in fifth, the chance to leapfrog Tottenham into fourth having passed them by. Not only that, they could be displaced by Arsenal or Burnley tomorrow. So close but yet so far.

7.19pm GMT

90 min +2: Liverpool ping it around the middle of the park, but there’s nowhere for them to go. Chelsea holding their shape, all routes forward blocked.

7.18pm GMT

90 min +1: Milner tees up Salah, on the right-hand edge of the Chelsea D. He sends a dipping volley towards the bottom right. Courtois turns it around the post for a corner that comes to nothing.

7.17pm GMT

90 min: There will be three additional minutes.

7.16pm GMT

89 min: Liverpool make a desperate late double-change. Mane and Lallana come on for Oxlade-Chamberlain and Coutinho.

7.15pm GMT

87 min: Liverpool have paid the price for inviting the champions of England to come at them. And there’s nearly more pain for the hosts as Morata tears down the right. Nobody’s kept up with him, though, and his low cross comes to nothing.

7.13pm GMT

Willian picks the ball up, just outside the Liverpool D. He drifts right and, turning, sends the ball looping to the far stick. The arc deceives a frantically backpedalling Mignolet and drops into the top left! Cross or shot? You decide!

7.12pm GMT

84 min: Chelsea are pushing Liverpool back. The home side can’t get out of their final third.

7.11pm GMT

83 min: Zappacosta curls deep from the right. The ball drops to Alonso, to the left of the penalty spot. He balloons a volley over the bar. A chance, albeit a very difficult one. It’s Zappacosta’s last act of the evening; he’s replaced by Willian, Antonio Conte’s last throw of the dice.

7.09pm GMT

81 min: Salah very nearly bursts clear into the penalty box down the left, but has to make do for a corner. From the set piece, Wijnaldum sends the ball towards the top left, accidentally, with his flailing arm, his back to goal. Courtois claims anyway.

7.08pm GMT

80 min: From the Liverpool corner, Chelsea attempt to break. They should send Hazard clear down the left, but both pass and run are mistimed. Then another launch forward. This time Morata nearly gets clear in the box down the left, but Gomez gets involved to divert the ball out for a corner. Nothing comes of that set piece.

7.06pm GMT

78 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain, on the right, sprays left for Salah, who tears forward then lays off to Wijnaldum. The Dutch midfielder shoots from the edge of the box, his effort clanking off Cahill and out for a corner on the left. Liverpool claim a penalty for hand ball, but once again, Cahill was standing right next to his opponent, and couldn’t get his arm out of the way even if he wanted to.

7.04pm GMT

77 min: Pedro comes on for Bakayoko.

7.04pm GMT

76 min: Fabregas, quarterbacking in the centre circle, loops a pass down the left channel to release Morata. The flag goes up, correctly, as the striker lashes across Mignolet and out to the right.

7.03pm GMT

75 min: Chelsea continue to press Liverpool back. Some more head tennis on the edge of the Liverpool area. But suddenly Henderson rakes a ball down the left to release Salah on the break. There’s nobody in red keeping up with Salah, though, and eventually the move peters out.

7.01pm GMT

74 min: Fabregas comes on for Drinkwater.

7.01pm GMT

73 min: Chelsea will always have chances against this Liverpool defence, though. A ball’s swung in from the right. Matip heads it down rather than out. Klavan batters a clearance into his nearest team-mate. Eventually Moreno steps in to hack clear. What a nonsense. On another day, that would have fallen at the feet of either Bakayoko or Morata.

6.59pm GMT

72 min: It’s all a bit scrappy. Zappacosta is in space out on the right, but doesn’t get the ball he wanted or needed. Then Salah has a run at the Chelsea box down the left, but instead of driving on, flicks wide for Moreno, who had run the length of the pitch to feed his team-mate in the first place and didn’t really want the return ball.

6.58pm GMT

70 min: That goal came out of nowhere, and may have understandably shocked Chelsea a little bit. To clear their heads, they knock it around the back awhile. Liverpool don’t chase them down too hard.

6.56pm GMT

68 min: That was a fine finish by Salah, who was calmness personified amid a confused, hectic muddle. Anfield had fallen a little quiet, the home fans pensive. There’s a bit more noise now.

6.54pm GMT

66 min: Liverpool make a change they were preparing to make anyway: Sturridge is replaced by Wijnaldum.

6.54pm GMT

Liverpool burst into life, get a lucky break, and grab the lead! Coutinho races in from the left. He looks for Salah on the edge of the area, but can only find Bakayoko. The Chelsea midfielder, facing his own goal on the edge of the D, can’t trap or connect. His fluff allows Oxlade-Chamberlain, just behind him, to toe-poke the ball forward for Salah, who eventually gets possession and slams into the bottom right past the advancing Courtois! Yet another goal by the Premier League’s leading scorer, but he doesn’t celebrate this one out of respect for his old club.

6.51pm GMT

63 min: Liverpool have been shocked into action, Chelsea so nearly going ahead. Now there’s a little space for Sturridge on the left. He’s in the area, but his low, hard shot is blocked by a fine tackle from Azpilicueta. The ball twangs out for a corner, and the set piece comes to nothing, easily claimed by Courtois.

6.49pm GMT

62 min: Chelsea are beginning to cause Liverpool serious problems. Room for Drinkwater out on the right. He fires a cross towards Morata by the near post. The striker can only bundle the ball out, wide right, for a goal kick. Liverpool counter themselves, Salah very nearly carving out space to shoot from the right-hand edge of the six-yard box. But he’s crowded out.

6.48pm GMT

60 min: A huge escape for Liverpool as Chelsea tear upfield on a counter attack, Zappacosta striding into the box from the right. He fizzes a glorious ball along the corridor of uncertainty. Surely a blue shirt will bundle the ball in from close range? But it somehow evades everyone, including the sliding Gomez, whose slapstick attempt to slide the ball out for a corner at least puts Morata and Bakayoko off at the left-hand post.

6.47pm GMT

59 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain goes racing after a long ball down the right. It’s a footrace between him and Courtois, who comes out to the left-hand edge of his area and stops the ball with his hand on the white line. Fine keeping. Oxlade-Chamberlain claims for a penalty, but his heart’s clearly not in it.

6.45pm GMT

57 min: More Liverpool passing, and this is a little better. Sturridge finds a gap down the right and enters the box, flicking a pass inside which hits Cahill on the top of his arm. He claims a penalty, but he’s never getting it, the two players were so close together. Eventually the pressure on Chelsea is released as Milner pointlessly upends Hazard.

6.43pm GMT

56 min: Liverpool are hogging the ball, but doing very little with it. A lot of pointless passing in the midfield. They go nowhere. Chelsea sit back and hold their shape.

6.42pm GMT

55 min: Henderson has a dig from 25 yards, roughly in the same position from where he scored at Stamford Bridge last year. The results are not the same.

6.41pm GMT

54 min: Matip meets the corner with his head, but only manages to send the ball flying back to Coutinho out on the left. Coutinho hammers low and hard into the mixer; the ball balloons away from danger. Hazard aside, quality has been sorely lacking tonight.

6.40pm GMT

53 min: Salah bursts in from the left and pings a pass to Coutinho, who is immediately clipped to the floor by Bakayoko. A free kick, but it’s a good 30 yards from goal. Coutinho aims for the top left anyway. It’s deflected out for a corner on the left.

6.38pm GMT

51 min: And now a corner for Chelsea, earned by Zappacosta off Henderson down the right. Cahill rises to meet the set piece, ten yards out level with the left-hand post. He sends it harmlessly wide of the target.

6.37pm GMT

49 min: Nearly a farcical own goal by Courtois! Sturridge, twisting in the Chelsea area on the left, sends a low cross fizzing across the face of the six-yard box. Courtois goes down and uncharacteristically allows the ball to squirt through his hands, backwards and very nearly into the bottom right! It sails inches wide of the post. The resulting corner leads to another, which leads to nothing.

6.36pm GMT

48 min: Alonso and Bakayoko exchange passes down the left and earn a corner off Gomez. Chelsea play it short, and nothing comes from an over-elaborated mess. But there’s a second phase of attack, Hazard bursting into the box down the left and falling over. He’d tangled himself up with Milner’s leg, and so claims a penalty, but for the second time tonight, you’ve seen them given but it’d have been awfully generous. Michael Oliver makes another good decision.

6.33pm GMT

46 min: Liverpool are quickly on the front foot, but when Coutinho has the chance of playing Salah in down the right, he opts to cut inside again, and all momentum is gone. Chelsea, who had looked momentarily out of shape, snap quickly back into it.

6.32pm GMT

Here we go, then, second half coming up! Chelsea get the ball rolling again; Liverpool are playing towards the Kop, which in the second half is how they superstitiously like it. No changes.

6.23pm GMT

Half-time listening: Recommended for fans of Steve Nicol, Sportsnight and the Soccer Six.

Episode 6: Dalglish's @LFC 1985-91, plus Sportnight and the Soccer Six on @ApplePodcasts https://t.co/v9zNrWqAUA

6.18pm GMT

All square after the first 45, then. The game’s been exciting enough, without producing anything particularly memorable. Chelsea will be the more content, neutralising Liverpool for the most part, while looking intermittently dangerous in attack.

6.16pm GMT

44 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain tears down the left and stands one up in the middle. The ball’s only half cleared. It’s dropping to Coutinho on the penalty spot. Hazard goes shoulder to shoulder under the dropping ball, and Coutinho clatters to the ground. Hazard makes off with the ball as Liverpool - and their supporters - loudly claim a penalty. But the ref isn’t having it. You’ve seen them given once or twice by generous refs, but still, that would have been a very soft one.

6.13pm GMT

43 min: Morata has a lash from 25 yards. It’s going wide left of goal, but takes a nick off Matip so that’s a corner. Mignolet comes off his line to claim with confidence.

6.12pm GMT

41 min: Salah turns Cahill, tight to his back, out on the Liverpool right. He then curls immediately towards the bottom left. It’s an inch wide of the post, and Courtois, at full stretch, had it covered anyway. But a fine effort nevertheless. Liverpool haven’t done much in attack, so it’s something.

6.11pm GMT

40 min: Bakayoko, Morata and Alonso shuttle the ball infield from the left with some pretty passing. Alonso eventually scoops diagonally for Zappacosta, who is lurking in the right of the area with great intent, waiting to thrash a volley goalwards. It forces Henderson to rush back and hack out for a corner. From the set piece, Morata heads harmlessly over. From ten yards out, it goes down as a chance.

6.08pm GMT

38 min: The referee falls over. The biggest cheer of the evening so far. Is it panto season already?

6.06pm GMT

36 min: Liverpool haven’t done much in attack of late, not since Chelsea stepped it up a gear and began launching salvos of their own. Salah tries to remedy that with a bust down the right. He’s stopped unceremoniously by Alonso. The free kick is looped into the mixer, and drops in the six-yard box. Trouble for Liverpool is, nobody’s taken a gamble on it. Chelsea are looking pretty comfortable right now.

6.05pm GMT

33 min: Drinkwater smacks spectacularly into Moreno on the halfway line, right by the dugouts. Moreno remains prone until Drinkwater gives him a mouthful. The referee once again keeps his card in his pocket. Both teams have now benefited from Michael Oliver’s laissez-faire stylings. All fair enough, and we move on.

6.03pm GMT

32 min: Alonso whips the ball up over the Liverpool wall, and looks to get it down into the top right. Mignolet has it covered, and the ball flies wide of the post. Not far away, though.

6.02pm GMT

31 min: Bakayoko and Morata exchange give-and-go passes down the inside-right channel. Matip stands in the way of Morata, and concedes a free kick to the right of the D. He wears the expression of a man who knows he’s about to be booked, but the ref stops at a lecture. This free kick is in a dangerous position, though.

6.00pm GMT

30 min: Now Chelsea move forward again. Space for Alonso out on the left. He hooks long, hoping to find Morata at the far post. A bit too much on the ball, and it’s a goal kick. But once again the hosts were looking a little disorganised at the back.

5.59pm GMT

27 min: Liverpool decide that the best form of defence is attack. They push forward. Eventually Salah turns in the area from a position tight on the right. He spins a flailing Cahill, who sticks a leg out. Light contact. Salah had the opportunity to go over and try to buy a penalty, but opts to stay on his feet and shoot instead. The effort’s blocked. Chelsea clear. This game’s super-intense, but good fun.

5.56pm GMT

24 min: Liverpool have had most of the ball, but it’s Chelsea who look the most dangerous. Zappacosta blasts goalwards from a position on the right; Mignolet tips over the bar. From the corner, there’s a load of pinball nonsense that even by Liverpool’s recent defensive standards is risible. Cahill nearly converts from a position tight on the left; Bakayoko nearly prods home from six yards out in the middle. Ping, ping, ping, Moreno, Matip, Moreno, Matip, ping, hoof. It’s eventually cleared, but dearie me. All that’s missing is a ramp and a multiball feature.

5.54pm GMT

23 min: Hazard takes a run at Liverpool from deep, and slips a ball down the middle to release Drinkwater. That’s a great move, and a fine run by the Chelsea midfielder. He’s one on one with Mignolet, but there’s pressure from behind by Moreno, and Drinkwater miscontrols. His eventual shot clanks past the advancing Mignolet and out to the left of goal.

5.52pm GMT

22 min: Mignolet flaps at the corner, but Liverpool somehow manage to bundle the ball away from their danger zone. Job done for now, but they didn’t look like a team full of defensive confidence. Which, to be fair, they’re clearly not.

5.51pm GMT

21 min: A loose ball in the centre circle by Matip is pounced on by Drinkwater, who slides it out to Hazard on the left. Hazard cuts infield and looks for the bottom left from 20 yards. It’s a lovely shot, and turned round the post well by Mignolet.

5.50pm GMT

19 min: Liverpool are nipping into tackles in the Kloppian style. Winning most of the 50-50s in the middle of the park. But they’re getting no joy as they approach Chelsea’s box. Moreno and Sturridge try some quickfire stuff out on the left, but it’s all a bit frantic.

5.47pm GMT

17 min: Gomez, Sturridge and Salah combine well down the right, a couple of times, but both moves peter out quickly enough. Chelsea looking strong and solid in their final third.

5.46pm GMT

15 min: Anfield fell nervously quiet as Chelsea probed the home defence there, and there’s more worry as a simple ball down the middle very nearly releases Drinkwater into absolute acres. A heavy touch lets the home side off the hook. Liverpool break upfield through Oxlade-Chamberlain, who bombs down the left before slapping a low cross towards Milner on the edge of the box. Milner has Coutinho on the outside, but opts for a first-time shot instead, and slices woefully miles wide right and high.

5.44pm GMT

13 min: Hazard and Bakayoko try to get something going down the Chelsea right. They very nearly open Liverpool up, but there’s one shimmy and flick too many, and the ball dribbles out of play for a goal kick.

5.43pm GMT

12 min: Liverpool continue to push Chelsea back. Chelsea continue to hold firm. Coutinho and Moreno combine down the left, the latter overcooking a cross which nevertheless nearly drops to Milner on the far right of the box. Milner traps, but quickly loses control before shaping his body to shoot, and the danger is gone.

5.40pm GMT

10 min: Another long ball hooped down the Liverpool right, this time by Klavan. Sturridge does very well to take it down, turn, and lay off to Salah, who again looks for that top-left corner from distance. The shot’s high and wild.

5.39pm GMT

8 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain has a look down the left. Nothing doing. He turns and shuttles the ball back to Coutinho, who with the help of Henderson sends the ball right for Salah. Another bit of probing comes to nothing. Liverpool are enjoying most of the possession right now, but Chelsea are holding their shape without too much fuss right now. Much as you’d expect from an Antonio Conte team.

5.36pm GMT

6 min: Milner slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Sturridge, who would have enjoyed a shooting opportunity from the edge of the box had he let the ball run right to left across his body. But he took a right-to-left touch instead, and ran into trouble. A nice open start to this game, with both teams on the front foot.

5.35pm GMT

4 min: A loose pass in the midfield by Coutinho allows Hazard to latch onto the ball and burn down the middle of the park. He flicks wide for Morata, though it’s a heavy one, and the striker does well just to stop the ball going out for a goal kick. A bit of faffing leads to a corner, from which the busy Hazard fires low and hard through the area from the right. Liverpool manage to clear without too much fuss, but that’s a fine early statement of intent by the in-form Hazard.

5.32pm GMT

2 min: Space for Salah down the inside-right channel after Sturridge gathers a long ball well. Salah shapes in the hope of replicating his curler into the top left against Southampton. Cahill blocks it at source.

5.31pm GMT

Hands have been shaken, coins tossed, showtunes sung ... and we’re off! The hosts get the ball rolling; Chelsea are playing towards the Kop in the first half. Liverpool stroke it around the back awhile so everyone gets a touch. Then Gomez hoicks one forward, straight into touch for a goal kick. Chelsea’s turn for a quick knock around the back. Courtois belts long. Throw to Liverpool. A brisk, hectic start, and the only way is up.

5.27pm GMT

The teams are out! A classic look for both sides, as Liverpool wear their famous red while Chelsea sport their equally well-known blue. One for the purists. A game to match, please! Anfield is bouncing, unsurprisingly so given both sets of fans historically enjoy a little back and forth. It’s a cracking atmosphere, the crowd keeping themselves warm on a freezing Mersey evening. We’ll be off in a little while!

5.18pm GMT

Antonio Conte speaks! “This season we are trying to find a solution for more balance. The first part of the season we conceded many goals. Tonight maybe we change something. It’s a normal rotation. Fabregas has played every game this season, and this choice I think is right.”

5.09pm GMT

Jurgen Klopp speaks! “We need to use the quality of the squad. I have absolute trust in the squad, and I have to show it. We cannot let the other boys play until they cannot play any more, so that is why I have changed it. We have fresh legs in, still quality, and options to change during the game. Ox will play like Mane plays, with his own skills of course, while Milner has desire and experience. It is important for us to defend well; it will be quite an intense game.”

4.43pm GMT

Football’s a squad game these days all right. And by way of illustration, both teams make five changes to the starting line-ups named in the Champions League midweek.

Liverpool must do without the injured Dejan Lovren. They’ve also parked Loris Karius, Georginio Wijnaldum, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane on the bench. Stepping into a slightly surprising, boldly rejigged XI: Simon Mignolet, Joel Matip, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Daniel Sturridge.

4.34pm GMT

Liverpool: Mignolet, Gomez, Matip, Klavan, Moreno, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Milner, Salah, Sturridge, Coutinho.
Subs: Karius, Wijnaldum, Firmino, Mane, Lallana, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold.

Chelsea: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill, Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso, Hazard, Morata.
Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Fabregas, Pedro, Moses, Willian, Luiz.

5.09pm GMT

Liverpool should be feeling pretty darn good about themselves right now. They’ve won four of their last five matches, drawing the other. They’re currently scoring goals at the rate of 3.2 per game. They boast the country’s leading scorer, Mo Salah, who doesn’t even play as a striker. And they’re very pretty on the eye.

But the thing is, we all know how the defence debased themselves in Andalusia last Tuesday. It’s been the story of their season so far: victories tossed away against Watford, Newcastle and Sevilla (twice); painful pastings at Manchester City and Tottenham. And to think Jurgen Klopp’s side only recently had the number of the division’s top teams! A surprisingly fine defensive record at home - only one goal conceded in six games - will give them a little succour, but not enough of the stuff to take anything or anyone for granted.

Continue reading...

PSG 7-1 Celtic: Champions League – as it happened

Celtic scored after 57 seconds, but otherwise it was a night to forget for the Scottish champions as Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe went to town.

9.38pm GMT

A wonderful opening 57 seconds for Celtic. The other 89 minutes and three seconds ... not so much. Celtic were poor defensively tonight, with many a mistake littering their performance. But then again, they’re playing the favourites for this year’s Champions League, a team who have tonight broken the record for goals scored in the group stage. Neymar, Mbappe, Cavani ... they were sensational tonight. What can you do?

9.35pm GMT

90 min: Pastore and Di Maria combine down the inside right. The latter forces the ball through for the former, who spins to snap a shot goalwards from a tight angle. It’s blocked easily enough. Another 120 seconds and this is all over for Celtic.

9.34pm GMT

89 min: For the first time tonight, the clock is Celtic’s friend. PSG are stroking it around in the middle of the park, just waiting for their shift to end.

9.32pm GMT

87 min: Forrest goes on a George Best ramble, right to left, across the face of the PSG box. He has a shot but it’s blocked the second it leaves his boot. It’s not much, but it’s something.

9.30pm GMT

85 min: Neymar seriously threatens to break clear into the Celtic box down the left. Bitton does very well indeed to hold him up.

9.29pm GMT

83 min: Some snappy tackling from Brown in the middle of the park, and Celtic are sent scampering upfield. Rogic has a dig from the edge of the box. It’s deflected out for a corner on the right. Griffiths takes; Areloa plucks from the sky and sends PSG on the attack. Di Maria has a look at goal from the best part of 35 yards. Nope!

9.27pm GMT

82 min: Celtic have imploded. It should be eight, as Cavani and Neymar make good down the inside left. The ball breaks to Lo Celso on the edge of the box. He fires low and hard towards the bottom right. Gordon does extremely well to tip the ball round the post for a corner.

9.26pm GMT

Aye, a rout all right. Cavani nearly works space to shoot amid a penalty box melee. No matter. The ball isn’t cleared. Dani Alves picks up possession 20 yards out on the right. A short backlift, and then he sends a rising heatseeker into the top left.

9.25pm GMT

What a belter this is! Kurzawa romps into acres down the left. He loops a cross towards the far post. Cavani meets the dropping ball with a volley that rasps across Gordon, off the left-hand post, and into the net. This is now a rout.

9.23pm GMT

77 min: It’s fair to say that goal had been coming, albeit at testimonial pace. It’s met with a series of changes: PSG send on Angel Di Maria and Giovani Lo Celso, allowing Mbappe and Verratti to exit on a high; Celtic swap Dembele for Leigh Griffiths.

9.22pm GMT

Mbappe tears past Tierney down the right. He reaches the byline and pulls the ball back. Brown and Boyata get in each other’s way on the penalty spot, and tee it up for Verratti, who threads a low diagonal shot into the bottom left.

9.19pm GMT

73 min: Neymar has woken up all right. He turns on the jets to burst down the left, and enters the area. No space to shoot, so he squares for Mbappe, who takes a touch on the penalty spot and shoots. But he doesn’t get enough purchase on the ball, and the danger is gone.

9.17pm GMT

72 min: Bedlam in the Celtic box. From a thicket of players, Neymar tries to dribble his way out, left to right, and fashion a chance for his hat-trick goal. But Forrest and Tierney combine to close him down, and the ball is cleared.

9.16pm GMT

71 min: See 68 min.

9.14pm GMT

69 min: Celtic make their second change of the night. Ntcham is replaced by Kouassi Eboue.

9.13pm GMT

68 min: PSG probe and pass, pass and probe. Celtic are doing an awful lot of chasing down. They can’t get out of their final third, but at least they’re not giving up chances right now.

9.12pm GMT

66 min: Draxler is replaced by PSG’s former No10, Javier Pastore.

9.11pm GMT

65 min: Rabiot burns past Brown in the midfield, as though the Celtic captain wasn’t there. He rolls a pass down the right for Mbappe, who looks to tee up Neymar in the middle with a low cross. But there’s too much juice on the pass, and Neymar isn’t able to meet it and shoot. He hustles and earns a corner, but nothing comes of that.

9.08pm GMT

63 min: Anderlecht have equalised against Bayern Munich. In terms of the race for third place, Celtic are still in the box seat going into the last round of matches. But PSG are now poised to win the group tonight.

9.07pm GMT

61 min: Celtic faff around at the back. Gordon kicks out, straight at the nearby Dani Alves. The ball breaks to Cavani, on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box. Cavani blasts over, when he really should score, albeit from a tight angle.

9.06pm GMT

60 min: Paris pen Celtic back in their own area, and eventually earn a corner on the right. Neymar takes. Marquinhos heads harmlessly over the bar.

9.05pm GMT

58 min: Mbappe has a belt from the edge of the box. It squirts wide left. Rabiot surges down the left and nearly bursts clear into the box. Boyata makes a meal of clearing. Then some more poor defending from the increasingly poor Boyata, allowing Cavani to lash a dipper just over the bar from distance.

9.02pm GMT

56 min: Brown, out on the right, curls a delightful ball in from the right. Dembele takes up possession, drops a shoulder to get some space by Dani Alves, then slams a shot into the side netting. Could have done better with the shot, but full marks for making space and time in the first place.

9.01pm GMT

55 min: Rabiot slips a pass down the left wing to spring Neymar. But there’s a little too much pace on the ball, and though Neymar keeps the ball in play, just, he can only stop it on the byline and watch in horror as Boyata makes off with it. Celtic nearly undone again.

8.59pm GMT

53 min: A little more space for Tierney down the left. If he’d looked up, he’d have spotted Dembele off the shoulder of Marquinhos and begging for a through ball down the channel. But the young Celtic wing back didn’t look up.

8.57pm GMT

52 min: Bayern Munich have taken the lead at Anderlecht, incidentally. That’s good news for Celtic, in their quest to stay ahead of the Belgians in the race for third spot in Group B and a place in the Europa League.

8.55pm GMT

50 min: And now Forrest has a gambol down the right. He manages to work just enough space to shoot, just inside the box, though his effort is blocked pretty much at source.

8.55pm GMT

49 min: Space for Tierney down the Celtic left. He curls a dangerous ball into the centre, where Dembele lurks, but Marquinhos slides in to hook clear.

8.53pm GMT

47 min: Neymar sprays a ball down the inside-left channel. Boyata should cover, but is easily pushed off the ball by Kurzawa. The PSG left back is one on one with Gordon, but he loses control of his feet, and then the ball. Boyata and Gordon take the opportunity to clear up. That was awful defending by Boyata, who has been very unconvincing tonight.

8.51pm GMT

46 min: Dembele stands on the toes of Verratti, who goes down and rolls around in pain for a bit. He’s up again after a brief pause in play. The second half starts again.

8.50pm GMT

Here we go, then, the second half! Celtic get the ball rolling for a half of damage limitation. There have been no half-time changes.

8.36pm GMT

Half-time listening:

Episode 6: Dalglish's @LFC 1985-91, plus Sportnight and the Soccer Six on @ApplePodcasts https://t.co/v9zNrWqAUA

8.34pm GMT

What a sensational first 57 seconds for Celtic. What a sensational front three PSG possess.

8.34pm GMT

45 min +1: In the first of two added minutes, Dembele dribbles into the PSG box down the right. He goes over and claims a penalty kick. He’s not getting it. Then Neymar goes off down the left, and is hauled back by Bitton, who is booked. Free kick that comes to nothing.

8.31pm GMT

44 min: Some Parisian noodling in the midfield. Celtic won’t mind this.

8.30pm GMT

42 min: From the corner, assorted scrambles take place in the Celtic box. Neymar chips down the inside-left channel to send Thiago Silva free. The offside flag goes up. Celtic breathe again.

8.28pm GMT

41 min: Full time can’t come soon enough, the way things are going. Neymar, deep on the left, caresses a delicious diagonal looping pass towards Mbappe, racing down the channel on the right. Mbappe enters the area and blooters goalwards. Gordon does exceptionally well to palm the ball round the post.

8.27pm GMT

40 min: Boyata, in attempting to clear a bouncing ball, takes a swing and a fresh-air shot. He gets away with it. But Celtic’s heads have gone. Half time can’t come soon enough.

8.26pm GMT

39 min: Celtic can’t get a touch now. They’re in proper Shouldn’t Have Made Them Angry territory.

8.25pm GMT

37 min: Neymar, Cavani, Mbappe. Not a bad front line, huh? “Celtic shouldn’t lose heart. Keep testing the keeper. Areola looks like he’s got a boob in him.” Ladies and gentlemen, this low-hanging fruit has been selected, picked, peeled and served up for you by Mr Matt Dony.

8.23pm GMT

The ball’s sent into the box. The ball drops to Marquinhos, level with the left-hand post, 12 yards out. He’s drawn the entire Celtic defence! Preposterous! All he has to do is square the ball for Mbappe, standing 12 yards out, level with the right-hand post. Mbappe takes a touch and guides it past Gordon and into the top left. Gordon got a hand to it, trying his best to get his entire defence out of jail, but it wasn’t enough.

8.22pm GMT

35 min: Simunovic is booked for a decent rugby tackle on Mbappe, who was in the process of haring off down the right wing. Free kick. And from that...

8.20pm GMT

33 min: Space for Dani Alves down the right. He wheechs a cross into the box. Cavani, on the edge of the area, lashes a first-time shot over the bar. Wild. Celtic hearts were in mouths there.

8.19pm GMT

31 min: So having said that, Ntcham sprays a long ball down the inside-left channel for Dembele to chase. The Celtic striker is one on one with Marquinhos. He drops a shoulder in the hope of stripping the PSG defender on the outside, but it’s too obvious a move and he loses possession. For a second, though, the hosts were seriously on the back foot.

8.18pm GMT

30 min: Suddenly, after a decent 20 minutes, Celtic look uncertain, their confidence kaput. They’re struggling to string two passes together. Half time is a distant speck in the distance right now.

8.16pm GMT

The ball’s worked back to Verratti, 30 yards from goal. He loops towards Mbappe and Neymar on the left-hand edge of the six-yard box. The pair both go for the same header. It breaks across the face of goal for Cavani, who can’t miss from a couple of yards.

8.15pm GMT

27 min: PSG continue to ping it around in an aesthetically acceptable style. Neymar tries to kid Bitton with a dropped shoulder down the left. He so nearly scampers clear into the box. A corner will have to do. And from it ...

8.13pm GMT

26 min: Neymar, quarterbacking from deep on the right, sends a crossfield looper towards Cavani, who meets it just inside the box and slaps a diagonal volley inches wide of the right-hand post. That would have been picture-book. It would also have been offside, the flag going up after Cavani went too early. But still, that was a very pretty effort.

8.12pm GMT

25 min: What a response this has been by PSG. Lesser teams would have taken a while to recover from that super-early, semi-self-inflicted blow. But here we are.

8.11pm GMT

23 min: Cavani has a dig from 25 yards, but drags his effort wide right. Celtic need to regroup here. Thing is, they’ve played very well so far. It’s just ... it’s just ... Neymar.

8.10pm GMT

It’s entertaining all right, though Celtic might not be enjoying it so much. PSG stroke it around awhile. Suddenly Neymar springs into life. He one-twos with Rabiot and Verratti down the inside-left channel, and he’s suddenly in space in the Celtic box. For the second time tonight, he draws Gordon and threads a shot across the keeper and into the bottom right. It looks so easy. It really isn’t. Celtic could do nothing about that.

8.08pm GMT

21 min: Celtic come straight back at PSG. Dembele, to the left of the D, tees up Ntcham for a first-time shot with a cushioned touch. Ntcham, falling backwards, sends a low screamer inches wide of the right-hand post. Not sure Areola had that covered. This is an awfully entertaining match.

8.07pm GMT

20 min: Dani Alves sends a looping pass down the inside-right channel. Mbappe strides into the box after the ball, and meets it on the volley as it drops over his shoulder, sending the ball over the crossbar. That would have been a gorgeous goal. It wouldn’t have been a million miles away from the Gerrard-Cisse combination in the 2006 FA Cup final.

8.05pm GMT

18 min: Rogic powers through the middle. He’s brought down just outside the area. He’s not getting the foul, though. No matter: Celtic come again, McGregor releasing Ntcham down the left. Ntcham reaches the byline and whips back for Dembele on the penalty spot. Dembele shapes like Zidane to hit the ball first time, but can only send it squirting harmlessly wide left. Celtic are clearly in the mood to give it a go, and to hell with it, which is refreshing.

8.03pm GMT

16 min: Rabiot very nearly releases Cavani through the middle with a sliderule pass; Simunovic does very well to intercept with a telescopic leg. The best form of defence may be attack. Dembele goes tearing down the left and feeds McGregor, tight on the touchline. McGregor whips low and hard into the area. Areola gathers at the second attempt.

8.02pm GMT

15 min: PSG float three speculative high balls into the Celtic box. Cavani, Mbappe and Verratti take turns to nearly get the ball under control. Celtic are under pressure here.

8.00pm GMT

13 min: Lustig has tweaked his hamstring while turning to stop a ball going out for a corner. On comes Nir Bitton in his stead. All of a sudden, Celtic’s fast start seems an awfully long time ago.

7.59pm GMT

11 min: A free kick for PSG out on the left. The hosts load the box. Neymar takes. It’s curled into the mixer. Gordon claims a dipping ball on the edge of his six-yard box, but Kurzawa was inches away from tickling that with his eyebrows and sending it flashing into the net.

7.56pm GMT

Well that didn’t take long for the hot home side to get back on terms. Brown loses the ball in the middle of the park, a sloppy pass intercepted by Rabiot. The PSG midfielder drives forward, then slides a pass down the inside-left channel for Neymar, who enters the box, draws Gordon off his line, and slots low and hard across the keeper and into the bottom right. What a glorious finish! What a game we have here!

7.55pm GMT

7 min: This is a nice statistic. Ntcham’s corner was Celtic’s first touch of the match; Dembele’s goal was their second. As fast starts go, that’s pretty efficient.

7.53pm GMT

6 min: But the goal’s given Celtic confidence, and McGregor wins the ball a couple of times deep in enemy territory. He links up with Tierney out on the left. A cross whipped into the box. Marquinhos whips clear.

7.52pm GMT

4 min: PSG enjoy a little possession in the Celtic half, but do nothing in particular with it. A decent enough response by the home team, though the Parc des Princes crowd have been shocked into silence. The away fans giving it plenty.

7.50pm GMT

2 min: So PSG have finally conceded a Champions League goal. And what a comedy of errors it was. But take nothing away from Dembele’s strike; he really put his foot through it, and got the lucky break he deserved!

7.49pm GMT

The corner’s pulled back by Ntcham to Dembele, on the right-hand edge of the PSG box. Dembele takes a first-time whack. There’s a deflection, confusing Areola, and the ball flies into the top-left corner off the keeper’s palms!

7.48pm GMT

Celtic get into their pre-match huddle ... then into position ... and we’re off! The hosts get the ball rollingm and stroke it around the back a bit. Stroke, pass, ping. Then a very weird business as Ntcham presses down the Celtic left, forcing Dani Alves into a strange crossfield blooter across the face of his own goal and out of play to the right of the net! A very odd corner conceded. And...

7.44pm GMT

Here come the teams! Paris Saint-Germain sport their blue shirts with red strip down the chest; Celtic wear those famous green and white hoops. A rare old atmosphere at the Parc des Princes, only momentarily jiggered by that bloody Handel-bothering Uefa theme. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.34pm GMT

Brendan Rodgers speaks! “You go into every game hoping you get a result. The pitch is amazing, the stadium is amazing, we know it’s gong to be a really tough game, but we showed in our last game that we played with that belief that you can come into this game and create chances and score goals. Now we may not have the most possession tonight, but what’s important is that you have the dangerous possession. If we can defend strongly, we’re in with a fighting chance. We’ve gone with two more midfield players to keep us narrow; Scott Sinclair and Stuart Armstrong have little niggles, so it’s not good to risk them when we have a huge squad and a big game at the weekend.”

7.03pm GMT

Paris Saint-Germain name the same XI sent out to thrash Celtic at Parkhead back in September ... nearly. There’s one difference: Thiago Motta is replaced by Julian Draxler.

Celtic meanwhile make three changes to the team forced to scrap for their victory at Ross County last weekend. Jozo Simunovic, Tom Rogic and Olivier Ntcham are in; Nir Bitton, Scott Sinclair and Stuart Armstrong drop to the bench.

7.03pm GMT

Paris Saint-Germain: Areola, Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Kurzawa, Verratti, Rabiot, Draxler, Mbappe-Lottin, Cavani, Neymar.
Subs: Trapp, Kimpembe, Di Maria, Meunier, Yuri, Lo Celso, Pastore.

Celtic: Gordon, Lustig, Boyata, Simunovic, Tierney, Brown, Forrest, McGregor, Rogic, Ntcham, Dembele.
Subs: De Vries, Bitton, Roberts, Griffiths, Sinclair, Armstrong, Eboue.

6.13pm GMT

Celtic can’t make it through to the knockout stage, but significant reward could be theirs tonight nonetheless. Should they beat Paris Saint-Germain, they’ll be guaranteed a place in the Europa League in the new year. And a draw might even be enough, if elsewhere Anderlecht fail to stop Bayern Munich. A most acceptable consolation prize is Celtic’s for the taking.

Problem is, taking is a big ask. PSG are on something of a roll in Europe; they’ve won all four of their games in Group B, scoring 17 goals and conceding none. They’ve spanked Bayern Munich 3-0 and Anderlecht 5-0 at the Parc des Princes. More worryingly for Brendan Rodgers side, they won 5-0 at Parkhead as well, a result which stands as Celtic’s record European home defeat.

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The Fiver | It’s like rising damp, it’s not just going to go away

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Some things never change. Consider the events of January 1907, for example, when Liverpool travelled to a frozen Roker Park and built themselves a comfy 4-1 half-time lead. Jack Parkinson, Sam Raybould and Jack Cox were scintillating in attack, coming at hosts Sunderland from all angles, at pace, “like a fleet of ships” according to the Liverpool Echo. But as the paper also pointed out, “a battle is never lost until it is won”, and Sunderland came back out for the second half in determined fashion. Liverpool started conceding rash fouls and penalty kicks, the not-yet-woke Manchester Guardian observing that Sunderland’s comeback was because of a “fatal departure on the part of Liverpool from the clean game, which is by no means necessarily tame and effeminate”. The end result was 5-5. It was the first time Liverpool had ever given up a three-goal lead. Oh Liverpool!

Related: Jordan Henderson: Don’t blame defence for Liverpool’s Sevilla collapse

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Denmark 0-0 Republic of Ireland: World Cup play-off first leg, as it happened

Determined Ireland hold disappointing Denmark in Copenhagen.

9.36pm GMT

And that’s that! It wasn’t exactly a classic, but Ireland won’t care. No away goal, but a goalless draw is fine reward for a determined display. Advantage to Martin O’Neill’s well-organised side ahead of the return leg in Dublin on Tuesday!

Related: Republic of Ireland hold nerve to take Denmark back to Dublin level

9.35pm GMT

90 min +4: Larsen tries to curl one into the top right from distance. Nope.

9.35pm GMT

90 min +3: ... Conor Hourihane.

9.34pm GMT

90 min +2: Ireland eventually clear their lines. Then they take ages to make a substitution. Hendrick is replaced by ...

9.34pm GMT

90 min +1: There will be three added minutes. Ireland don’t really clear the corner. The ball very nearly breaks to Eriksen on the edge of the box. It squirts to the left, allowing Larsen to take a shot from the left of the D. The ball deflects off Christie and sails inches wide of the left-hand post!

9.32pm GMT

90 min: Ireland have just gone close, so Denmark respond. Space for Larsen down the left. He curls a cross onto the head of Poulsen, who sends the ball straight at Randolph from six yards. The keeper tips acrobatically over!

9.31pm GMT

89 min: O’Dowda turns on the jets and bursts past Kvist in the middle of the park. He’s brought down. A clear free kick, and under normal circumstances a booking, but not according to this ref’s policy, and on balance that’s fair enough. Brady loops the free kick into the box. Duffy plants a header goalwards, and Schmeichel does very well to deal with it.

9.29pm GMT

88 min: Arter jogs off, to be replaced by Glenn Whelan.

9.29pm GMT

87 min: Delaney hooks a cross into the Ireland box from the left. It’s too high for Poulsen. Goal kick. Whistles from the crowd as Arter goes down in the area, messing around with his boots.

9.27pm GMT

85 min: McClean has a dig from 30 yards. Nope. Time ticks on.

9.27pm GMT

84 min: McClean clips the back of Delaney’s heels in the centre circle. That could have been an expensive yellow for Ireland, too, but the referee appears minded to let things pass. Long has a crack from the right of the Danish D. It twangs off the back of the unfortunate Delaney and out for a corner on the left. But the referee points for a goal kick. Not everything has gone Ireland’s way during this minute.

9.24pm GMT

82 min: Eriksen tries to release Ankersen into the Irish area with a little pitching wedge down the right. It doesn’t come off. Denmark’s star man has been very quiet in this second half.

9.23pm GMT

81 min: A free kick for Ireland out on the right. Brady curls it in. It’s slightly flat. Clark stoops to flick one on, but only manages to send the ball harmlessly wide left of the target.

9.22pm GMT

79 min: Ireland push an increasingly nervous Denmark back, earning a corner on the left. Brady whips it in; Bendtner clears. Denmark threaten to break dangerously. Kvist bombs up the right. Arter tugs him back, and should be booked. But the referee is kind. Arter is one of the players who would miss the second leg with a yellow card. He’s got away with that.

9.20pm GMT

77 min: Bendtner chases after Arter in the midfield. Arter slides to hoof the ball upfield for O’Dowda. Bendtner lands on Arter’s leg. A lot of screaming. For a second, everyone fears the worst. But while it’s a sore one, Arter is good to continue. And it wasn’t an intentional foul; Bendtner accidentally landed on Arter’s leg while looking upfield. A bit of a brouhaha, but it quickly ends in nothing.

9.17pm GMT

75 min: Jorgensen cuts in from the left and slides a pass wide right for Bendtner, who floats a chip back into the centre. Randolph rises and plucks the ball from the sky on his goalline.

9.15pm GMT

74 min: Ireland make their first change: Murphy, dripping with sweat after putting in a shift, is replaced by Shane Long.

9.14pm GMT

72 min: The home fans make some noise here, though, as Sisto is replaced for the popular Nicklas Bendtner.

9.13pm GMT

71 min: A couple more minutes of sterile Danish possession. The Copenhagen crowd is getting a little restless.

9.12pm GMT

69 min: Poulsen shifts the ball between his feet and drops a shoulder, making space down the inside-right channel. He tries to guide a shot into the bottom left. Inches wide of the post. Randolph was slightly wrong-footed and while he probably had the shot covered, it would have been pretty close.

9.11pm GMT

68 min: Ireland continue to pin Denmark back, without particularly turning the screw. Time ticks on, which is good enough news for O’Neill’s side.

9.10pm GMT

67 min: Poulsen’s first act is to accidentally crump an elbow in Arter’s coupon. Brady loops the free kick into a crowded box. Neither Kjaer nor Bjelland manage to make a clearing header, and the ball drops to Clark, eight feet out and clear! But the big defender can’t quite adjust his body to sidefoot goalwards. Bjelland is able to clear at the second opportunity.

9.08pm GMT

66 min: Delaney attempts a drive from the best part of 35 yards. It’s fair to say Denmark are getting a little bit frustrated by Ireland’s staunch defending.

9.05pm GMT

64 min: Cornelius is replaced by Yussuf Poulsen.

9.05pm GMT

62 min: Eriksen earns another corner down the right. Denmark are beginning to apply a bit of pressure again. But not too much: once again the set piece is a non-event.

9.04pm GMT

60 min: The ball deflected out for a corner; the set piece comes to nothing.

9.03pm GMT

59 min: Eriksen whips a cross into the Irish box from the right. It hits Arter on the back of his arm as the Ireland midfielder turned his back; the pair were very close together. Eriksen claims a handball, and a penalty, but he frantically looks around, and can’t find Ovidiu Hategan anywhere. It would have been as daft a decision as the one which befell Northern Ireland the other night, and match official Milorad Mazic isn’t having a bar of it.

9.00pm GMT

58 min: A little bit of head tennis in the Danish box. The hosts eventually clear, but only because O’Dowda doesn’t connect with a header while hovering on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box.

8.59pm GMT

57 min: Sisto nips down the right, jinking this way and that, finally sending a teasing dink into the box. But there are no red shirts attacking the ball, and Christie can cushion a header back to Randolph.

8.58pm GMT

56 min: A free kick for Ireland out on the Irish left, near the halfway line. Ward sprays a diagonal one for Duffy, rising in the Danish area on the right. He barges his man to the floor and that’s a free kick to Denmark, the pressure released.

8.56pm GMT

54 min: This is extremely scrappy. Ireland won’t mind a bit. They’ve quietened the crowd, and there’s a palpable tension in the air. Denmark can’t get going at all right now. Ireland are struggling for coherence too, but it’s not their gaff, it’s not up to them.

8.53pm GMT

52 min: Aye, it’s been a quiet start to the half.

8.51pm GMT

50 min: McClean goes bowling down the left and very nearly powers past Ankersen, but he’s tight on the touchline and the ball squirts out of play. It’s a quiet start to the half.

8.50pm GMT

48 min: Denmark are immediately on the front foot again, the break having put a stop to Ireland’s growing momentum. A big hoick forward. Delaney goes up with Clark, but doesn’t get a header goalwards.

8.47pm GMT

And we’re off again! No changes at half time. Denmark get the ball rolling in their lovely red shirts. “Sure,” says Kat Petersen, “but the font on the back is an absolute abomination.” Indeed. To the point that comic sans would be an improvement.

8.34pm GMT

Half-time advertisement:

8.32pm GMT

And that’s that for the opening 45. Denmark the better side for most of it, but Ireland were on top during the final exchanges of the half. On another day, both sides would have scored. As it is ... nothing yet. Ireland will be perfectly happy with that. So far, so good for Martin O’Neill’s men!

8.30pm GMT

44 min: The set piece comes to nothing. Oh my, Christie really should have scored there. But what a marvellous run; that will give him encouragement for the rest of this tie, because he had Larsen on toast there.

8.29pm GMT

43 min: Christie knocks the ball past Larsen down the right, and backs himself in a footrace. He burns past the full back and is free in the box! He faces Schmeichel from a tight angle, and attempts the chip. He should have blootered it. The ball breaks back to Hendrick, who drops a shoulder to make space. But not enough space: his shot is blocked out for a corner.

8.27pm GMT

40 min: Eriksen dances down the middle of the park, his toes twinkling. Lovely. He then pings the ball to his left, in the hope of releasing Sisto into the area. Sisto takes his eye off the ball, luckily for Ireland, because he’d have been clear otherwise.

8.26pm GMT

38 min: Good work by McClean down the left. He reaches the byline and pulls back for O’Dowda, who can’t get a shot away from the edge of the box. For a split second, it looked as though Denmark had been opened up, but the door slammed shut again.

8.23pm GMT

37 min: Some sterile Denmark possession, Ireland holding their shape. Then, down the right, Ankersen attempts to replicate this goal:

8.21pm GMT

34 min: Another free kick for Ireland in the midfield, another chance to load the box. Brady loops it in. Duffy goes up with Schmeichel but the big keeper is always going to win.

8.20pm GMT

32 min: So having said that, Ireland give up a huge chance. Sorry. Schmeichel hacks a clearance up the middle. Clark tries to hoof it back upfield, but only succeeds in cushioning a pass to Eriksen, suddenly in acres of space 30 yards from goal. He sends a swerver towards the top left. Randolph parries. Jorgensen can’t latch onto the rebound, but Sisto, coming in from the left, has to score, the net unguarded. But he slaps his shot across the face of goal and wide right. A dreadful miss. Denmark should be leading.

8.17pm GMT

31 min: Cornelius attempts to bust down the right wing. But McClean isn’t having it, and holds him off in the powerful style. Eventually an irritated Cornelius concedes a free kick in the tussle. Ireland are looking resolute in defence, as they always do.

8.16pm GMT

29 min: Eriksen, Cornelius and Jorgensen play clever little balls to each other down the middle of the park. It’s like a rolling maul, and very nearly opens Ireland up. But the final pass, intended for Sisto down the inside left, is blocked by Duffy.

8.14pm GMT

28 min: Ankersen does extremely well to keep a wild pass down the Danish right in play. He feeds Sisto, who nearly dribbles his way into a shooting position down the inside right. He’s forced to turn back and lay off to Jorgensen, who tries his luck from 25 yards. It’s a lame curler towards the bottom left, and always heading wide.

8.12pm GMT

26 min: McClean makes off down the left, on the road to nowhere. He’s foolishly upended by Kvist. A free kick in a dangerous position. And a chance for Ireland to load the box once again. Arter and Brady stand over the free kick. Brady whips it in. It’s a dreadful delivery, flat and easily intercepted by the first red shirt it comes near. A chance to trouble Schmeichel for the first time is spurned.

8.10pm GMT

24 min: Kvist, on the right-hand edge of the Irish box, hooks into the mixer. Jorgensen is lurking, forcing Clark to head over at the expense of a corner. Sisto takes the world’s worst set piece, battering it straight into Ward, standing close by. The danger is over.

8.09pm GMT

22 min: Eriksen shifts his feet 20 yards from goal and carves out just enough space for a snapshot. His effort flies straight at Randolph, who swallows it up.

8.08pm GMT

20 min: The free kick is tapped to Arter, who floats a ball towards Duffy on the right-hand edge of the Danish area. The ball clips off Duffy’s eyebrows and out of play. It’s fair to say we’ve seen nothing of Ireland as a creative force yet, but then the onus isn’t on them.

8.06pm GMT

19 min: Kjaer barges into the back of Murphy in the centre circle. A free kick, and an awful lot of whistling. All of a sudden, Ireland are doing a good job of irritating their hosts.

8.04pm GMT

17 min: A little bit of sweet possession for Ireland. There’s no real intent to pile forward; they’re just trying to get a foothold in this game. In that respect, it’s been a positive couple of minutes. The crowd lose a little of their voice accordingly.

8.01pm GMT

15 min: Now Ireland get another throw. Christie flings it towards Duffy, but there’s no goalward header forthcoming and Larsen hacks clear.

8.00pm GMT

13 min: More of the Danish dominance. They earn a throw deep down the left. It’s fizzed into the feet of Sisto, who can’t control and the ball flies out of play for a goal kick. Ireland will be thankful for the relief; they’ve been getting pressed back.

7.58pm GMT

11 min: What a double save by Randolph! Kjaer, deep on the right, sprays a diagonal pass towards Larsen on the left. Larsen takes a touch and creams a fierce shot from a tight angle. Randolph parries, it’s all he can do. The ball breaks to Cornelius, who slams goalwards from eight yards. He must score. But it’s straight at the keeper, and the ball sticks to his body! Ireland survive!

7.57pm GMT

10 min: It’s not been too free flowing. A lot of pinball nonsense in the middle, though Denmark mostly have control of the flippers.

7.55pm GMT

8 min: Christie throws long into the Danish box from the right. Clark shoves Larsen, and there goes that little bit of Irish pressure. The visitors weren’t afraid to load the box, it should be noted.

7.53pm GMT

6 min: Eriksen drops deep and begins to prompt. He nearly one-twos with Jorgensen on the edge of the Irish box, but the striker’s flick doesn’t quite come off. He then tries a powerful bustle down the left channel, but that comes to nothing. He looks in the mood.

7.51pm GMT

5 min: Denmark are still enjoying the lion’s share, though it’s all a bit frantic in the middle of the park. Here’s Paul Doyle again: “Ten Irish players came into this game on a yellow, eight of whom are starting. In the 1997 playoff v Belgium, 11 Irish players went into the first leg on a suspension and eight started. None got booked. It ended 1-1 v Belgium ... and, er, we lost the second leg.” For the record, only Brady, O’Dowda and Hendrick can afford to pick up a booking for Ireland tonight. Everyone else starting in white would miss Dublin on Tuesday.

7.49pm GMT

3 min: Kvist clips a cross into the Irish area from the right. Jorgensen very nearly plants his head on the ball at the far post, but Christie does enough to nix the goalscoring plan. But the home side are on the front foot in these early minutes, with Ireland pushed back. Pretty much as expected.

7.47pm GMT

And we’re off! Ireland get the ball rolling, and win an early free kick in the midfield. Duffy pumps it long, into the Danish box. Cornelius clears. Hearty whoops and cheers soundtrack it all.

7.46pm GMT

The teams are out! Denmark are in their very lovely red Hummel shirts, a pretty arrows-on-shoulder design ... though it’s never going to be as good as the one sported by Sepp Piontek’s side in 1986, is it, it just can’t be. Ireland meanwhile sport their gorgeous second-choice white. The anthems blare out; tension crackles in the air, along with some red and white fireworks. Danish dynamite! Both sets of fans are giving it plenty. A place in the finals is within touching distance, after all. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.32pm GMT

The pre-match platitudes of Martin O’Neill, who clearly cannot be bothered one jot with the interview, and let’s be honest, who can blame him: “We need to stay in the game. We need to try to score a goal if we can. Easier said than done. A big night!”

7.25pm GMT

Dispatch from Danmark: “Pleased to see O’Dowda starting, a most encouraging inclusion,” writes our man Paul Doyle. “Looks like O’Neill wasn’t bluffing when he talked about ‘going for it’. Also, the first Ireland player ever to score against Denmark was Dermot Curtis in a 2-1 win in 1956. That earned him a move from Shelbourne to Bristol City, now home to O’Dowda. I’m taking that as an omen.”

7.10pm GMT

Required pre-match reading #2: A classic, this. As entertaining as the team it celebrates. Just in case you missed this wonderful book at the time, it’s never too late to get on it ...

Related: Danish Dynamite: the Story of Football's Greatest Cult Team – extract

7.00pm GMT

Required pre-match reading #1: Paul Doyle’s over in Copenhagen, and there’s a man who knows what’s what. Don’t make his trip wasted.

Related: Republic of Ireland out to change Denmark’s mood in World Cup play-off

6.55pm GMT

The 22-year-old Bristol City winger Callum O’Dowda is the only addition to the XI sent out to beat Wales in Cardiff last month. He replaces the suspended David Meyler.

Denmark coach Age Hareide - an old pal of Martin O’Neill’s from their Manchester City days in the early Eighties - makes five changes to the side which drew 1-1 with Romania. Peter Ankersen, Andreas Bjelland, Jens Stryger Larsen, Andreas Cornelius and Nicolai Jorgensen all step up; Riza Durmisi, Andreas Christensen, Nicklas Bendtner, Henrik Dalsgaard and Yussuf Poulsen make way.

6.50pm GMT

Denmark: Schmeichel, Ankersen, Kjaer, Bjelland, Stryger Larsen, Delaney, Kvist, Eriksen, Cornelius, Jorgensen, Sisto.
Subs: Lossl, Hansen, Jensen, Vestergaard, Christensen, Bendtner, Jorgensen, Kundsen, Fischer, Lerager, Schone, Poulsen.

Republic of Ireland: Randolph, Christie, Duffy, Clark, Ward, O’Dowda, Arter, Brady, Hendrick, McClean, Murphy.
Subs: Westwood, Elliot, O’Shea, McShane, Whelan, McGeady, S Long, Hoolahan, Hourihane, Doherty, Hogan, K Long.

1.58pm GMT

In a parallel universe – one where Jesper Olsen never played that square pass, and Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy were the sort to bite their tongues and muddle through – this is a match-up between two erstwhile World Cup winning nations. Sadly, in the cosmos we do inhabit, 1986 and 2002 are filed under Glorious Missed Opportunities instead. One of these great footballing countries will have a chance to right that wrong next summer in Russia. But only one.

Denmark are 19th in the Fifa rankings, six places above the Republic of Ireland, so go into this two-legged World Cup qualification play-off as favourites. Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur is the man who usually brings home the bacon for the Danes; he’s scored in seven of their ten qualifiers so far. Ireland boss Martin O’Neill has the midfielder pegged in a world-class bracket alongside the likes of Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard, Luis Suarez and Neymar. It’s going to be a big test for the Irish in Copenhagen tonight.

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Football transfer rumours: Everton to lure Diego Simeone from Atlético Madrid?

Today’s fluff is damp

Everton have stepped up their search for a new manager. Sean Dyche may offer promise, Sam Allardyce guarantees. But only Diego Simeone brings international glamour. Title-winning coaches from La Liga have done reasonably well on Merseyside in the past, so this could work, you know. And the prospect of a Merseyside derby with Simeone and Jürgen Klopp on a rolling boil in the dugouts? Yes please!

Related: Kevin Mirallas apologises for behaviour after Everton training session walkout

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Napoli 2-4 Manchester City: Champions League – as it happened

Sparkling City brushed aside a fine Napoli team to qualify for the knockout stages

Read Stuart James’s match report

9.41pm GMT

And that’s that! Manchester City qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League. Thing is, Napoli were pretty damn good tonight. They asked City some searching questions. But City were quite brilliant, and had all the answers. On this evidence, they are serious contenders for this year’s Champions League. Napoli, improbably, are in serious danger of crashing out at the group stage.

Related: Sergio Agüero enters record books after helping Manchester City past Napoli

9.39pm GMT

90 min +3: Sterling is clipped hard on the ankles by a frustrated Mertens, who is booked. Koulibaly is also booked for arguing, and will miss Napoli’s next match.

9.38pm GMT

City score on the break from a Napoli set piece for the second time. The Napoli free kick leads to some pinball in the area. City clear, and flood forward. De Bruyne dribbles down the left, then into the middle, waits, then passes to his right. Sterling glides into the box and slams a shot past Reina and into the bottom left. What a performance this has been by Manchester City!

9.36pm GMT

90 min +1: Otamendi is booked for a late lunge on Ounas, out on the right. Free kick. From which ...

9.36pm GMT

90 min: City take the free kick short, go for the corner flag, and promptly lose possession. No matter, another attack is launched. David Silva bursts down the left and cuts back for his namesake Bernardo, who blasts over from the edge of the box. There will be four minutes of added time.

9.33pm GMT

89 min: City are running down the clock in a calm, professional style. Insigne, frustrated, clips the back of David Silva’s heels, 25 yards from the Napoli goal, out on the right. Before the free kick can be taken, Gabriel Jesus comes on for Sane.

9.31pm GMT

87 min: David Silva sprays a pass down the left for Sane to run onto. Sane cuts back for Bernardo Silva, who slams a first-time shot towards the bottom right from the edge of the box. Reina is behind it all the way.

9.29pm GMT

85 min: The home fans whistle hard and loud as City knock it back and forth through the centre circle.

9.29pm GMT

84 min: Napoli continue to press forward, but City aren’t letting them anywhere near the final third. The clock is City’s friend.

9.28pm GMT

82 min: Jorginho is replaced by Adam Ounas.

9.27pm GMT

81 min: The exciting Insigne burns down the left, after embarrassing Danilo with a flick over his head combined with on-a-sixpence spin. He then sprays right for Callejon, who combines down the channel with Mertens, before being flagged offside when clear in the area. There really wasn’t much in that at all.

9.25pm GMT

80 min: Sane takes, looking for the top right. He can get the ball up over the wall, but not back down. Though he’s not too far off, the ball only a few inches over the bar.

9.24pm GMT

79 min: Fernandinho has been quietly excellent all evening - it was his ball forward that set Sane scampering upfield for City’s third, for example - and now he dribbles down the middle of the park before drawing a foul on the edge of the Napoli D. Free kick.

9.21pm GMT

77 min: Some more keep-ball by City. The home team, and indeed their vocal support, getting a little frustrated.

9.20pm GMT

75 min: A change by both teams. Marko Rog comes on for Allan. Meanwhile Manchester City’s new all-time record goalscorer, Sergio Aguero, is replaced by Bernardo Silva.

9.18pm GMT

73 min: Insigne dribbles into the City box from the left. He works enough space to get a shot away, what looks like a glorious curler into the top right. Fortunately for City, Otamendi dives in the way to block and head clear. This has been a wonderfully entertaining match. Both of these teams are a credit to the Champions League.

9.17pm GMT

71 min: On the touchline, Guardiola engages the ref in a row about the penalty non-decision. He’s not letting that one go, despite his team taking the lead. Meanwhile David Silva comes on for Gundogan, who has a few more minutes under his belt.

9.16pm GMT

City break upfield! Sane is romping at great pace towards the Napoli box. It looks like he’ll go all the way, but Hysaj block-tackles him brilliantly. Only problem is, Aguero is just behind the pair. He picks up the ball as it squirts from out of the challenge, makes it to the box himself, and slams a glorious finish into the bottom right! He’s broken Eric Brook’s long-standing record!

9.14pm GMT

68 min: What a save by Ederson! Mertens comes in from the left, draws three men, and dinks a little diagonal pass to Callejon, coming in from the inside-right. Callejon is clean through and onside. He blasts goalwards, but Ederson somehow deflects the ball over! Wow! And from the corner ...

9.12pm GMT

67 min: A loose Hamsik pass is snaffled by Gundogan on the edge of the Napoli box. Gundogan clips Aguero free. Aguero can’t get a shot away, but he’s well offside.

9.11pm GMT

66 min: City enjoy some more possession in the middle of the park. It’s all accompanied by some wild whistling.

9.10pm GMT

64 min: And then Mertens is sent scampering into a ludicrous amount of space down the left. The flag goes up for offside, but that looked extremely tight. City perhaps a little fortunate, as Mertens would have been free, albeit on the wing from the halfway line.

9.09pm GMT

63 min: Sterling skips past Jorginho down the right, reaches the byline, and crosses into a busy area. The ball pings off the elbow of Hysaj. No penalty, probably because Hysaj was withdrawing his arm and trying to tuck it behind his body. City don’t totally agree with this analysis.

9.07pm GMT

A step and a skip, and Jorginho tucks the penalty into the bottom left. No problem! And once again, the pendulum swings. This is some game!

9.06pm GMT

61 min: The corner leads to another. City fail to clear the second, and Sane leaves out a hanging leg for Insigne to go over. It’s a soft one, but it’s a spot kick!

9.05pm GMT

60 min: Insigne shovels a pass down the inside-left channel for Mertens, who flicks inside for Callejon. Stones comes across to hack the ball out for a corner on the left, before the Napoli man can burst into the box. And from the corner ...

9.03pm GMT

58 min: Napoli have cranked up the pressure, so City take the sting out of the game with a little sterile possession in the middle of the park. Clever City.

9.01pm GMT

56 min: More bedlam, as Insigne drops a shoulder to cut in from the left, puts Danilo on his arse, then sends a rising smash towards the top-left corner. Ederson is beaten, but the ball crashes off the crossbar and away.

8.59pm GMT

54 min: Napoli string a few passes together. Mertens threatens to dribble clear down the inside-left channel, but he’s crowded out on the edge of the box. But that’s better from the home side. And their support respond with some trademark bedlam. Napoli desperately need something; their chances of making the knockout stages don’t look too great right now.

8.57pm GMT

52 min: Mertens tries one of his crisp round-the-corner flicks for Allan down the right. But the tricks aren’t coming off any more, the passes failing to stick. Those opening 20-odd minutes seem an awfully long time ago.

8.56pm GMT

50 min: Hamsik and Mertens combine well in the middle of the park, the latter spraying wide left for Insigne. A lot of time and space on the flank for the Napoli man, but there’s no Ghoulam around to support now. The attack peters out.

8.54pm GMT

Sane curls high and hard, onto the head of Stones, 12 yards out Stones smashes a header towards the top left. It bounces off the crossbar, down, over the line, then back out. The linesman isn’t going to give it, but it’s well over the line, and the technology makes sure justice is done. What a header! And the Stadio San Paolo is plunged into miserable silence!

8.52pm GMT

47 min: A run of determined brilliance by Sterling, who dribbles into the Napoli are from the right, past Koulibaly and Hamsik. He suddenly looks clear on goal! But as he shapes to open his body up and curl into the bottom left, Albiol slides in to block. Corner. From which De Bruyne curls deep from the right to force another corner. And from that one ...

8.50pm GMT

Here we go again! The hosts get the party re-started. No changes. As things stand, City will make it to the knockout stages. Within ten seconds, Callejon curls a low cross into the City box from the right. Ederson claims without too much fuss.

8.34pm GMT

Half-time admin:

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8.33pm GMT

A half of two halves, both teams taking turns to be utterly dominant. It promises to be some second half!

8.31pm GMT

45 min: A glorious dribble down the right by De Bruyne. He’s got options either side, and selects Sterling on his outside. Sterling, perhaps noticing that his team-mate has just located a rich seam of form, tries to return the ball immediately, but the direction’s all out of whack. Napoli were backpedalling in a panic there.

8.30pm GMT

44 min: This is all City. Now it’s Napoli’s turn to chase shadows. The home side can’t keep hold of the ball at all.

8.28pm GMT

42 min: Sterling turns on the jets and bursts into the Napoli box from the right. He should shoot, but takes another touch, then goes down under a light shove from Hysaj. Sterling demands a penalty, but he’s not getting it for that.

8.27pm GMT

40 min: And now City nearly take the lead! Sterling wedges a pass down the right for Gundogan, who finds himself in space and hooks a cross through the Napoli six-yard box. Otamendi can’t quite run the ball in at the far post. Koulibaly half clears. Stones, from the edge of the area, returns the ball immediately, crashing a header off the bar! Napoli again half-clear their lines, and concede a free kick out on the left. That set piece comes to nothing, but the home side - who looked so confident for so long - suddenly appear in serious need of the half-time whistle!

8.25pm GMT

38 min: Gundogan over-elaborates on the edge of his own box, and nearly lets Mertens free down the inside-right channel. City crowd him out.

8.23pm GMT

36 min: City are suddenly that little bit quicker and sharper. Napoli were first to pretty much everything a few minutes ago. This is a marvellous display of character by City, who looked seriously on the ropes, but refused to buckle and are now right back in this.

8.21pm GMT

Gundogan takes a shot from distance. Koulibaly deflects again, and it’s another corner. From this one, the ball’s worked back up the right wing to Gundogan, who loops long. At the far post, rising above Hysaj, is Otamendi ... who plants a header into the top left! City are level, after turning up the tempo in the few minutes since the departure of Ghoulam. They’ve not allowed the rejigged Napoli defence to settle!

8.19pm GMT

32 min: City so very nearly equalise! De Bruyne bursts down the middle, drifting a little to the right. He feeds Sterling on the outside. Sterling enters the Napoli box and pulls the ball back for Aguero on the penalty spot. Aguero has to shift the ball from under his feet, but works the space to send a snapshot towards the bottom right. It misses by inches, but only after a deflection by Koulibaly. The corner comes to nothing.

8.17pm GMT

30 min: Ghoulam pulled a muscle while stretching for the ball in the attack described on 23 minutes. He’s replaced - after a lot of faffing about - by Maggio. That’s a blow for Napoli; Ghoulam has been superb from the get-go tonight, a constant threat down his wing.

8.14pm GMT

28 min: Aguero is bowled to the ground, 30 yards from goal. The free kick is taken quickly, sending Sane down the left. Sane hooks into the middle, where Aguero has a snapshot from the edge of the box. It’s blocked, but that’s a little better from City, who haven’t got going at all. Small acorns, etc.

8.13pm GMT

27 min: Napoli are getting a lot of joy down this left flank. Insigne makes off along the channel, and loops to the far post, where Mertens battles with Ederson and Otamendi. The ball doesn’t quite drop for the Napoli forward.

8.12pm GMT

25 min: City are getting a little bit irritated. Delph tries to burst down the left but Callejon slides in, winning a tackle and a throw. Delph wants a free kick; he’s not getting it. On the touchline, Guardiola half removes his jacket, perhaps with a view to flinging it to the floor in anger or frustration. He pulls it back on.

8.10pm GMT

23 min: Napoli continue to stroke it around with supreme confidence. Mertens nearly repeats the trick of a couple of minutes ago, flicking a pass down the left channel for Ghoulam. The Napoli left back is crowded out of it. City breathe again. They don’t look secure at the back at all.

8.08pm GMT

This had been coming. And it was so simple, and perfectly executed. Insigne bursts down the inside-left channel. He flicks inside to Mertens, his back to goal. Mertens returns a flick, around the corner. Insigne has continued to bomb on. He enters the box, opens his body, and curls a powerful finish past Ederson and into the bottom right. That was a picture-book goal.

8.06pm GMT

19 min: Albiol sprays a long ball down the inside-right channel. Mertens brings it down from the sky, stone dead, then from the edge of the box gently curls it round Ederson and into the bottom left. It’s some finish: the only minor caveat being, he was offside and everyone knew the whistle was about to go.

8.04pm GMT

18 min: Shakhtar are now 2-1 up. And here’s us promising you goals in this match.

8.04pm GMT

17 min: Mertens turns on the jets down the left, a thoroughly confident and in-control run. He slides a pass further down the channel for Insigne, just inside the box. Stones comes across and concedes a corner out on the left. From the set piece, Stones comes to the rescue again, as Ghoulam whips low towards the near post. He hoicks clear.

8.01pm GMT

15 min: It’s already 1-1 between Shakhtar and Feyenoord. City meanwhile are still struggling to retain possession. Napoli in charge right now.

8.00pm GMT

13 min: Hamsik releases Mertens into the City area down the left. Mertens must think he’s offside, because he hesitates slightly. But he’s on. Having paused, he probably should pull back a return to Mertens, but instead he strokes a weak shot straight at Ederson from a tight angle. Hamsik waves his hands in the air. Not happy.

7.58pm GMT

12 min: Mertens tries to float one over Ederson from the left-hand corner of the City box. Not enough purchase. Breaking news: Napoli fans make a lot of noise.

7.58pm GMT

11 min: A glorious backheel by Insigne sets Ghoulam off down the left. He nears the byline and curls low and hard into the centre. The cross is a wee bit aimless, and City hoick it clear. The home fans are enjoying this; their team is on top at the moment, and going for it to boot.

7.56pm GMT

9 min: Napoli are first to nearly everything right now. Insigne makes off down the left, but can’t quite get a cross into the centre, where a few team-mates lurk. Then Hamsik has a dig from a wide position on the same wing. It’s a wild effort. It looks like he’s prepared to take shots on from all positions tonight, Diego Maradona’s Napoli goalscoring record very much in his viewfinder.

7.54pm GMT

8 min: Mertens, preparing to probe down the City left, is unceremoniously blocked by Otamendi. A free kick, 25 yards out, just to the left of goal. Mertens blooters a witless effort straight into the wall. That wasn’t very good.

7.52pm GMT

6 min: Jorginho feeds Hamsik down the middle of the park. Hamsik is in a lot of space, and doesn’t need asking twice: he hammers a shot goalwards from 25 yards. It’s straight at Ederson, though, easy for the keeper.

7.51pm GMT

4 min: This is already a lot of free-wheeling fun. Sane somehow escapes from a thicket of Napoli players out on the City left, a lovely drag and spin. He finds Sterling in the middle; Sterling very nearly bustles his way into the box. Again: not quite. But there’s no way this is going to end goalless. No way.

7.49pm GMT

2 min: But this is a fast start by these in-form teams. Insigne makes ground down the left and swings a ball into the middle, where Mertens isn’t too far from making serious contact. City were a little light at the back there, but they get away with that one.

7.48pm GMT

And we’re off! City get the ball rolling. Napoli line up in an unambiguous 4-4-2. No doubt that’ll be mixed up soon enough, but it doesn’t half press some old-school buttons. City give up possession soon enough, but after a bit of Napoli probing, City make off up the other end, Sane threatening to work some space just inside the Napoli area to shoot. Not quite; he’s crowded out.

7.44pm GMT

The teams are out! Napoli are in their Gurfo ‘e Napule blue, while City sport their black third kit. Uefa’s Handel-bothering anthem is pumping out of the Stadio San Paolo stereo. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.34pm GMT

Pep Guardiola speaks! “Napoli will be similar tonight, plus they play at home. They will be comfortable in their stadium and with their fans. It is a good challenge for us, to see how we handle it. I have not spoken about the atmosphere, we are focused on what we have to do on the pitch. We have a good squad: Gundogan was a long-term injury, we looked after him, and now we have to give him minutes.”

7.24pm GMT

A couple of all-time club goalscoring records are in danger of falling tonight. Sergio Aguero is looking for the strike that would make him the most prolific forward in Manchester City history. One more, and he’ll best 1936-37 title-winner Eric Brook’s long-standing record of 177. Meanwhile should Marek Hamsik get on the scoresheet, he would equal Diego Maradona’s record 115 mark for Napoli. No small achievements. Memories could be made of this.

6.55pm GMT

Manchester City make four changes to the team sent out to flatten West Brom last weekend. Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Gabriel Jesus drop to the bench, while Danilo, Raheem Sterling, Ilkay Gundogan and Sergio Aguero make the step up.

Napoli make two changes to the side that went down in Manchester a fortnight ago. Piotr Zielinski and Amadou Diawara are parked on the bench, allowing Allan and Jorginho to take their places in the starting XI.

6.53pm GMT

Napoli: Reina, Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam, Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik, Callejon, Mertens, Insigne.
Subs: Sepe, Maggio, Zielinski, Chiriches, Rog, Ounas, Diawara.

Manchester City: Ederson, Danilo, Otamendi, Stones, Delph, Sterling, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Sane, De Bruyne, Aguero.
Subs: Bravo, Walker, Mangala, Bernardo Silva, David Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Toure.

3.19pm GMT

... which could see Manchester City qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League for the fifth season in a row, should they avoid defeat in the Stadio San Paolo, Naples. Easier said than done, even for in-form City: Napoli have won 15 of their last 23 home fixtures in Europe, and four of their five home games against English clubs.

Yet the bulk of the pressure is on Napoli. Having gone down 2-1 at the City of Manchester Stadium a fortnight ago, and lost by the same scoreline at Shakhtar Donetsk on Matchday One, they desperately need a result here tonight. Their Serie A form will give them succour: they lead the league in Italy, having won ten and drawn one of their first 11 games. Problem is, City are in similarly hot domestic form, topping the Premier League table with nine wins from ten. They’re unbeaten all season, and are currently on a 13-match winning streak, if you count their League Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties, and why wouldn’t you.

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The Fiver | A pitiful, nay McMenemyesque, state of affairs

The state of Sunderland, Leonid Slutsky’s serious self-analysis and Fiver letters prizes are back (on Thursday)!

It only seems like yesterday when Sunderland were battering aristocratic Aston Villa 7-2 and the so-called Invincibles of Preston North End 4-1, results which shook the Victorian football scene to such an extent that the Football League had no choice but to grant them membership, having previously refused them entry on account of the town being quite a long way north and therefore rather expensive to get to. Doesn’t time fly, eh. But six English titles and five runners-up spots later – that’s a better record than the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and, oh, who’s this, Newcastle – and this grand old club find themselves in a wee spot of bother.

Related: Simon Grayson sacked as Sunderland manager after draw with Bolton

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